HONG KONG (SE): A few alarm bells rang on February 27 at the release of the election manifesto of chief executive hopeful, Carrie Lam Chen Yuet-ngor, as it included the possibility of revisiting the setting up of a special government unit in Hong Kong to coordinate the activities of religious bodies.

Response of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong to Mrs. Carrie Lam’s ‘Proposal of Setting up a Religious Affairs Unit’ in her Manifesto of Chief Executive Election

In Mrs. Carrie Lam’s Manifesto for 2017 Chief Executive Election, there is a mention of a possible study “of setting up a Religious Affairs Unit” in its Points 6.43 and 6.44. Cardinal John Tong Hon, of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, has written a letter to Mrs. Lam on March 2, expressing the Diocese’s resolute opposition of a possible “setting up of a Religious Affairs Unit” group or similar institutions in Hong Kong.

HONG KONG (SE): In the clash of heads over the inclusion by chief executive hopeful, Carrie Lam Chen Yuet-ngor, of a suggestion to set up a government Religious Affairs Unit in Hong Kong (see page 1), the phrase, “Hong Kong already enjoys full religious freedom” is being tossed about with gay abandon.

While it is a guarantee of the Basic Law, the definition of religious freedom seems to be at least up for grabs, as it is not necessarily clear who has the right to define or describe it.